WHY I LOVE I
ORANGE COUNTY
By Pam Honeycutt
I’m proud to say I’ve lived my entire life in Orange County. I graduated from Orangefield high school then moved to the Little Cypress area over 40 years ago. My family on the Scales side as well as the Mansfield side boasts deep roots in our community. I hear folks say there’s nothing to do in our area. In my opinion, that’s not true. We have the beauty of everything from waterways to tall pine trees. We have brackish water which means fishermen have the opportunity to catch everything from perch to redfish to bass to gar…a fisherman’s delight.
Thanks to Lamar Orange for continuing to breathe life back into our downtown Orange area. The Lutcher Theatre is a mainstay and each season brings in some wonderful productions. The Stark Museum and W.H. Stark House brings tourists to our area. We have Shangri La which is an outstanding wildlife and vegetation area that regularly hosts community events; many are free to the public. We have Interstate 10 that runs right thru our county which is being upgraded right now. I’m so thankful that the train depot was saved and is now renovated. It’s now a wonderful place for events. I’m proud to say I was one of three General coordinators for the Lions Den playground. It’s a 20-year-old playground that was built “barn raising” style by many dedicated members of our community who understood the need for a community playground that is still full of children having fun every weekend. I’m proud to say it’s being considered for renovation. I’m familiar with many of our churches in Orange County. In my opinion they’re second to none. My home church growing up was Orangefield First Baptist. My husband Rusty and I now worship regularly at Cowboy Church of Orange County which is a nontraditional church that focuses on reaching people who have a connection to the Western heritage or cowboy culture. I’m proud to say we have some first-class rodeo arenas in our county, one being T2 on Old Peveto Road. Owners Chad and Krissy are generous and always willing to listen to new ideas from the Chamber of Commerce, EDC, as well as concerned individuals. They regularly host events for the Cowboy Church of Orange County, Special Angels Rodeo, the Orange County Livestock Show and other events.
Pam and Rusty Honeycutt
We have many reputable civic organizations in our area. One being the Lions Club. Rusty and I belong to the Orange Lions Club but our county proudly has the LCM Lions, Bridge City Lions, Orange Noon Lions and Vidor Lions Clubs. Our biggest event is the Orange Lions Clubs Charity Carnival. It’s often voted best community event in the Orange Leader best of the best poll. We are celebrating our 79th carnival this year. Monies raised from this annual event pays for eyeglasses, food baskets at Christmas time and other community projects. We serve!! Nearly every civic organization in our community sponsors a community event, the Kiwanis Christmas Parade, the Bridge City Chamber Christmas Parade, CVB’s Art in the Park, among others. The cities in the county all sponsor events, Pinehurst Labor Day Picnic, Vidor Barbecue Festival just to mention a couple. If you enjoy good music, Orange County has some of the most talented folks you’ll ever meet. Britt Godwin is home grown talent but he’s not alone, there are many talented singers, musicians, and songwriters that are featured often at local clubs, festivals and events. Rusty and I enjoy our local restaurants. I think we’re blessed with a variety so there’s something for everybody.
I don’t always completely agree with our county and different cities leadership, but I respect the fact that they sincerely continue to work on improvements to make Orange County a better place to live. There are a few downfalls to Orange County. Hurricanes, mosquitoes and lovebugs to name a few but I think the beauty of Orange County and the hospitality of most of the people in our community outweigh what downfalls we experience. God continues to bless our area with beautiful scenery that’s always free to enjoy so Rusty and I can always find something to do. So, as I said earlier, I don’t agree with those who complain that there’s nothing to do here. I know I didn’t mention everything we have but I love Orange County because the county is diversified, it’s hometown yet there’s some high-class culture here as well. We have big time pro rodeos that draw some of the best professional cowboys anywhere. Orange County continues to produce quality athletes that regularly go on to college and pro status. I think there’s something for everybody. I’ve traveled extensively in Texas, other states and a little bit out of the country but I’ve never found a place I’d rather live than here. I’ll always be proud that I’m from Orange County Texas.
31 | October 2019 m
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